Atomic structure (very small electron mass)
I can describe the physical characteristics of atoms, protons, neutrons and electrons.
Atomic structure (very small electron mass)
I can describe the physical characteristics of atoms, protons, neutrons and electrons.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Electrons have a relative charge of -1 and roughly a relative mass of 0.0005 (very small).
- Protons are found in the atomic nucleus, have a relative electric charge of +1, and a relative mass of 1.
- Neutrons are found in the atomic nucleus, have no electric charge, and a relative mass of 1.
- An atom has no electric charge as it contains equal numbers of protons and electrons to balance the charge.
- The atom has a nucleus surrounded by electrons, with the nuclear radius much smaller than that of the atom.
Common misconception
Students often struggle with the idea of how small an atom actually is. In contrast, how small the nucleus is, relative to the size of the atom.
The use of units and numbers to show the difference in size, e.g. the atom is approximately 10, 000 times larger than the nucleus. The radius of the nucleus is 0.00001nm, compared to that of the atom which is 0.1nm.
Keywords
Subatomic - Anything that is smaller than an atom. There are three subatomic particles called electrons, protons and neutrons.
Electron - An electron is a subatomic particle with a negative charge and a very small relative atomic mass of 0.0005.
Proton - A proton is a subatomic particle with a positive charge and a relative atomic mass of 1.
Neutron - A neutron is a subatomic particle with no charge and a relative atomic mass of 1.
Nucleus - A nucleus is found in the centre of an atom. It consists of protons and neutrons. It is significantly smaller in size than the atom.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
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